Dan Murphy’s launch Decoded Wine Awards

Dan Murphy’s launched its own wine awards last night, but drinks lovers won’t find words like ‘leathery’, ‘secondary aromas’ or ‘firm tannins’ in the winning wine descriptions. The liquor retailer brought together 12 of its most passionate wine lovers on the team, who have almost 200 years experience combined. Over three days, the panel blind tasted over 1000 wines, which were submitted by suppliers. The mission was to find wines that customers would love; quaffable and of great value minus all the jargon.

Last night, the liquor retailer celebrated its inaugural Decoded Wine Awards with a gala ceremony in Richmond, during which it revealed the winning wines across 11 categories. The wine trends of Chardonnay making a comeback, rise of lighter style reds and bone dry rosé were prevalent among the winners. Dan Murphy’s is planning on making the Decoded Wine Awards an annual event.

The full list of winners in Dan Murphy’s inaugural Decoded Wine Awards

Under $20 Award Winners

Lighter white:

Knappstein Hand Picked Riesling Clare Valley

Verdict: A deliciously fresh, light and dry Riesling. The perfect wine to enjoy with your favourite Asian cuisine.

Fuller White:

Devil’s Lair The Hidden Cave Chardonnay

Verdict: A superb Chardonnay. This is an impressive, affordable option for your next dinner party.

Lighter red:

Z Wine Rustica Grenache

Verdict: This juicy, fresh and vibrant Grenache is perfect to drink now.

Fuller red:

Langmeil Three Gardens Grenache Shiraz Mataro

Verdict: A savoury, medium-bodied Barossa blend with ripe red fruit, it’ll complete your Sunday Roast.

Over $20 Award Winners

Lighter white:

Craggy Range Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Verdict: This Craggy range is as good as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc gets.

Fuller white:

Xanadu Estate Chardonnay 2018

Verdict: This mouth-watering wine is crisp and a prime example of a lighter style of Chardonnay.

Lighter reds:

Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Henty Pinot Meunier 2018

Verdict: Although commonly used as a component in sparkling, this wine proves that Pinot Meunier more than stands up on its own. A must try for adventurous Pinot Noir lovers.

Fuller reds:

Xanadu Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Verdict: A generous wine that showcases the best of Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. A perfect addition to your next dinner party.